The Mall as our Savior

There was a day back in February when the North Riverside Mall saved me. A Sunday morning dawned and Finn was his usual high-energy self, ready to play. Jason and I were both reaching for Kleenex and cough drops and cold medicine, crawling out of bed regretfully. I wasn't sure how we were going to get through the day. For some reason the only thing I could think to do with the morning was take Finn to the mall to keep him from bouncing off the walls, get an errand done, and hope Jason and I didn't have to exert much energy.

As raunchy as I felt taking Finn to the mall for a family outing, the North Riverside Mall nonetheless, it ended a Godsend. Finn spotted the train, which I thought had left with the holidays, and was overjoyed to ride for as long as his parents would let him. Jason and I bought several tickets, secured Finn in a train car, and slumped on a nearby bench. We walked a bit further and discovered a mini-amusement park of stationary rides. I was grateful for the change machine and kept on plugging the quarters. Finn was entertained Jason and I did not have to do the entertaining.

On any normal day I would have scoffed at this outing, but on this day I couldn't have been more grateful for the North Riverside Mall. I walked around the mall in a bit of a daze feeling like I'd reach a new level of enlightenment. We found the Subway for lunch; boy ate well and without fussing; I could not have been happier.

--JAK